Woman charged in making up carjacking claim, fourth incident in recent months.

NEWARK — A Newark woman has been accused of filing a false report — claiming she was carjacked, officials said yesterday.

It is the fourth false carjacking report in Newark since June.

Authorities said Mary Hardaway, 38, actually was involved in a car accident on Friday and her damaged 2002 Nissan Murano was found near Springfield Avenue and South 12th Street, the location of the alleged carjacking, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray said.

In September, a Belleville man was charged with falsely reporting a carjacking after investigators discovered his BMW had been towed away from a single-car accident by State Police on I-280 the day of the alleged incident, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

A day later, a Kearny woman was charged with filing a false police report after her story to Newark police about a carjacking of her 1997 Nissan Altima fell apart and she admitted she loaned a car to a male acquaintance who did not return it, said police.

And in June, a 20-year-old East Orange man was charged with filing a false report in Newark after claiming that an armed carjacker took his 2002 Chevy Malibu by force along with cash. Investigators alleged those claims were a lie.

"I have to strongly reiterate that the police department does not have the time or resources to entertain false claims of car jacking or any crime for that matter," said Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio. "Anyone found to make such claims will be arrested and charged accordingly.”